Tomb Raider Composer Jailed For ‘Fraudulently Obtaining’ UK Government COVID-19 Loans

Peter Connelly, a composer and sound designer best known for his work on the Tomb Raider series, has been jailed for “fraudulently obtaining” a loan from the UK government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement from the UK’s Insolvency Service, Durham-based Connelly was said to have obtained a legitimate $29,500 (£22,000) government “Bounce Back” loan, and then again a month later for $50,000 (£37,500) at a different bank, even though businesses were only entitled to one such loan. Connelly was also found to have “deliberately inflated” his company’s financial position during the first few months of the pandemic in 2020, reporting a turnover of $201,500 (£150,00) in 2019 when it was, in fact, $77,900 (£58,00).

In interviews with the Insolvency Service, Connelly stated that he had been given the opportunity to reimagine the music for the Tomb Raider soundtrack, describing it as a “significant project which had the potential to be very lucrative.” He reportedly took out personal loans and sold his car to finance the work, but that “stalled” at the start of the pandemic. By August 2021, Connelly’s company, Peter Connelly Limited, had gone into liquidation.

At a Durham court yesterday, July 17, the composer was sentenced to 16 months in prison and disqualified as a company director for six years.

“Peter Connelly blatantly disregarded the rules of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, designed to support small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic,” said David Snasdell, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, the organization responsible for tackling Bounce Back Loan misconduct.

“Connelly not only secured two loans when businesses were only allowed one, but deliberately inflated his company’s turnover to receive more money than he was entitled to.”

While at original Tomb Raider developer Core Design, Connelly worked in sound design on Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft and later as a leading composer for Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider: Chronicles. 2003’s Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, which Connelly co-wrote with Martin Iveson, featured the London Symphony Orchestra.

After Core, Connelly went on to work on the likes of 2011’s Driver: San Francisco at Ubisoft Reflections, Watch Dogs, The Crew, South Park: The Fractured But Whole, and, most recently, 2023’s Dead Island 2.

Image credit: YouTube / Peter Connelly.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.